The territorial disputes between Japan and its nearest neighbors over the islands of Takeshima (Dokdo in Korean) and the Senkakus (Diaoyu in Chinese) have gradually faded from the front pages; but this does not necessarily mean there have been no repercussions.
Accumulated resentment on both sides serve as a constant irritant, making it easier for conflicts to spill over into other areas. The recent uproar on the issue of wartime sex slaves ("comfort women") did not occur in a vacuum, but needs to be taken in the context of these kinds of sporadic flareups of nationalistic sentiments.
The phenomenon of increasingly noisy demonstrations against Koreans residing in Japan by members of right-wing groups — after festering for several years mostly on alternative news sites on the Internet — is finally attracting the notice of the mainstream print media, and Diet members have even begun to discuss the possibility of drafting a new law banning inflammatory "hate speech."
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